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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · wake · rule · mark · board · season · swing · plane

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wake — a trail
  10. board — to get on
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. season — in sport
  18. plane — a tool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com